''The Winter Guest'' is a 1997

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespe ...

and starring

Phyllida Law Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television. Early life Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...

and

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...

Plot

Set in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

on one wintry day, the film focuses on eight people; a mother and daughter, Elspeth (

) and Frances (

); two young boys skipping school, Sam (Douglas Murphy) and Tom (

Sean Biggerstaff Sean Biggerstaff (born 15 March 1983) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for playing Oliver Wood in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, appearing in ''Philosopher's Stone'' (2001), '' Chamber of Secrets'' (2002), and '' Deathly Hallows – P ...

); two old women who frequently attend strangers' funerals, Chloe (

Sandra Voe Sandra Voe (born 6 October 1936) is a Scottish actress of film, television, and theatre. Career Television and films Voe began her on screen career in 1966, appearing in an episode of ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. She has also appeared in '' ...

) and Lily (

Sheila Reid Sheila Reid (born 21 December 1937) is a Scottish actress, known for playing Madge Harvey in the ITV sitcom ''Benidorm'' (2007–2016). An original member of the Royal National Theatre in 1963, she played Bianca in the National's 1965 film ver ...

); and two teenagers Nita (Arlene Cockburn) and Alex ( Gary Hollywood). The film consists primarily of the interactions between the characters.

History

The film is based on

Sharman MacDonald Sharman Macdonald (born 8 February 1951) is a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Life and career Macdonald was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Janet Rewat (née Williams) and Joseph Henry Hosgood MacDonald. She has Scottish and We ...

's play, premiered at the

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

(in the Quarry studio theatre, 23 January to 18 February 1995) before transferring to the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diver ...

in London (14 March to 15 April 1995). Like the film it was also directed by Rickman, starring Law, Reid, Voe and John Wark, with Siân Thomas in the role of Frances, played in the film by Emma Thompson.

Reception

The film was met warmly by critics, with Thompson winning an award at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

. In the United Kingdom, it grossed £250,689, and a worldwide total of $1.3 million.

Awards and nominations

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports and promotes British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, ...

(UK) **Nominated: Best British Actress (Emma Thompson) *Brussels International Film Festival (Belgium) **Won: Audience Award (Alan Rickman) *

Chicago Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the compo ...

(USA) **Won: Gold Hugo – Best Film (Alan Rickman) *

Czech Lion The Czech Lion Awards ( cs, Český lev) are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in filmmaking and television. It is the highest award of achievement in film awarded in the Czech Republic. The jury is composed of members of the Czech Fi ...

(Czech Republic) **Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film (Alan Rickman) *

European Film Awards The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the most ...

**Nominated: Best Actress (Emma Thompson) *

(Italy) **Won: 'CinemAvvenire' Award (Alan Rickman; tied with ''A Ostra e o Vento'' and ''Giro di lune tra terra e mare''). **Won: OCIC Award (Alan Rickman) **Won: Pasinetti Award – Best Actress (Emma Thompson) **Nominated:

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...

(Alan Rickman)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Winter Guest, The 1997 films 1997 drama films British drama films Films directed by Alan Rickman Films scored by Michael Kamen Films set in Scotland 1997 directorial debut films Films about mother–daughter relationships 1990s English-language films 1990s British films